Over the years, different connectors and connection arrangements have been used to connect various mechanical and electrical components together. One type of connecting arrangement creates an electrical connection thereby providing an electrical pathway between different electrical elements in a system.
Connectors are typically used in acoustic systems such as hearing aid systems. For example, connectors may be used to electrically and/or mechanically couple a receiver to processing circuitry. Unfortunately, previous connectors were often bulky and this presents a problem in acoustic systems where small parts are needed. For example, if the connector is too large, the system may be cumbersome or impossible to position in or around the ear of the human patient. Small connectors have been made, but these often suffer from their own problems. For example, these connectors may not provide adequate electrical connections. Another problem that occurs (especially in the context of connectors used in hearing aid systems) is that vibrations are transmitted from one system component (e.g., the receiver) to another component (e.g., the processing circuitry or its housing). The unwanted vibrations may damage circuitry or create sound quality problems for the wearer of the hearing aid.
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